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Is Kampot Worth Visiting?
Yes
Cambodia is one of the most affordable countries to visit if you travel around Southeast Asia. With its great food, amazing islands and interesting countryside to explore why wouldn’t you want to come and have a look? But you may find you do not leave.
Kampot is a charming, laid-back town that runs along a languid river. Thus setting the tone for a laid-back pace of life. This is the perfect place to come and see if you want to relax.
But it’s not all about lounging around sipping beer or cocktails. There are lots of things to do in Kampot to keep you busy. Whether you’re into outdoor adventure, art, tattoos or the sound of live music, Kampot will keep you busy.
As one of Cambodia’s best destinations for foodies, Kampot has something to offer for everyone.
Where is Kampot?
Map
Kampot ( ក្រុងកំពត) is located in the southern part of Cambodia on the Praek Tuek Chhu River. Once the capital of the Circonscription Résidentielle de Kampot was under French rule. Kampot has kept many of its old colonial buildings.
It is also famous for its high-quality pepper, which is exported worldwide. It is also known for its fish sauce and durian.
The government and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Art have been preparing documents to nominate the Old Town of Kampot for admission to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Along with the Old Town of Battambang and the Old Town of Kratie.
Planning your trip here?
Phnom Penh to Kampot
Bus
You can take the minibus from Phnom Penh to the Pot. Which can take about 3-5 hours. If you take the minivan that goes via Kep I would add on another 1 or 2 hours.
Giant Ibis is a reliable company to use. They also have free wifi and power points onboard. The trip costs $12 and takes roughly 4 hours. You can book with your guesthouse or a travel agent. You can even book online but you will have to add an extra $1.
They depart from Phnom Penh at 8 am and 2.45 pm and from Kampot at 8.30 am, 2.45 pm and 7 pm.
Train
You can take the train from Phnom Penh to Kampot. This spectacular journey takes 4 hrs and 40 minutes. It costs about $7 and it is best to book tickets directly at the station.
They usually have many seats as it is not the most popular form of travel. As things are forever changing in the kingdom of wonder it is always best to check the Train schedule. As of today, the times are
| 07:00 | 10:40 | M, Tu, W, Th, F, Sa, Su |
Taxi
A private taxi from Phnom Penh to Kampot costs anywhere from $35-80. It all depends on the time of year and if you get a taxi from directly outside the airport. Also if you book through your guesthouse.
Sihanoukville to Kampot
Bus
There are now several bus services from Sihanoukville to Kampot. The minivans can be crowded as many people are coming to Kampot from the islands. Otres Beach in Sihanoukville to Kampot, the trip costs about $7 and takes about 2.5 hours.
Train
You can take the train from Sihanoukville to Kampot. This amazing journey takes 1 hour and 40 minutes, give or take. It costs about $7 and it is best to book tickets directly at the station. They usually have many seats as it is not the most popular form of travel. As things are forever changing in the kingdom of wonder it is always best to check the Train schedule. As of today, the times are
| Sihanoukville | Kampot | Day |
| 14:00 | 15:40 | M,Tu,W,Th,F,Sa,Su |
Taxi
A private taxi from Sihanoukville to Kampot costs anywhere from $45-65. Again it all depends on the time of year. Also if you get a taxi directly from the boat piers or your guesthouse orders one for you.
Airport
Sihanoukville International Airport (KOS) is the nearest airport to Kampot. It has direct flights from Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh (Cambodia Angkor Air), and Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia). You can also fly from Phnom Penh.
Kep to Kampot
Kep is only a 30-minute drive from Kampot. You can either get a tuk-tuk for ($10-15 one way) or hire a motorbike for $5 a day. It is best to speak to your guesthouse. A taxi will cost about ($20) and a minibus ($4) for a 45-minute journey.
When is best to visit Kampot
Anytime
Kampot’s high season is from November to January which is the winter months. This is a pleasant time of year as the temperature is not so high and it is not humid. But it is a lot busier and thus more expensive. But only a dollar or two.
March to May is the hottest time of the year due to being just before the rainy season. The monsoon season usually starts from July to November. With the heaviest rains being in September. But as the world is changing who knows know days? As it even rains in March. The monsoon season brings heavy rains and afternoon or evening storms. This can be a pleasant time to visit as there are not so many tourists, the rice fields are green, and the temperatures are cool.
7 Wonderful Things to Do in Kampot, Cambodia
1 – Enjoy the Sleepiness
Kampot’s sleepiness is part of its charm as there is minimal traffic It is easy to get around. The streets are wide so they are perfect for riding a bicycle. Life is slow here and with being slow comes lazing in hammocks or swimming in the river.
The charming and sometimes old architecture is a mix of French colonial and Chinese-style buildings. Shutters of fading blue and green catch your eye. Pink bougainvillaea blossoms on trees, it feels the town with splendour.
Kampot is the perfect place for digital nomads with many places offering free WIFI if you buy food or drinks at the establishment. As there are several expats living here you can find amazing restaurants with all varieties of food, cool cafes, and even some of your comforts from home.
2 – Take a Day Trip to Kep and Rabbit Island
Kep is another sleepy town but on the coast being only 30 minutes from Kampot it is easy to get to. Kep is known for its crab market and butterfly-filled Kep National Park. Also, it has some luxury places to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Kampot.
From Kep, you can take a 30-minute boat ride for about $25 for the whole boat to Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay). Which is a tranquil place to spend the day or a night or two. But there is no electricity during the day. It is a true getaway as you bask in the glow of the sunset while holding a cocktail.
You can also catch the crab shuttle from Kampot if you prefer to just go straight to the island.
3 – Enjoy Kampot’s River
Exploring and having fun on Kampot’s river is one of the best Kampot activities. You can choose your adventure, whether that is spending lazy afternoons in a peaceful riverside location, kayaking down the river, stand-up paddle boarding, or swimming. Champa Lodge rents out kayaks and paddleboards starting from $3 an hour.
If you feel like watching the sunset from a boat you can take a sunset and firefly river cruise ($5). Also, many guesthouses can arrange guided trips on a wooden longtail boat if you want to go at your own pace.
4 – Sample the delicious food
You can find everything from burgers, pizzas, chicken and even pies. Many street sellers also sell baguettes, freshly squeezed sugarcane juice, sweet potato cakes, and steamed corn on the cob.
You could also take a cooking class that will let you sample the local market so you can learn how to cook Khmer cuisine.
5 – Visit the Salt Fields
There is also plenty to do in Kampot’s surrounding countryside and the countryside starts just minutes outside town. To explore, you can take a guided tour or hire a motorbike. Potholed tarmac turns to orange dirt and concrete houses become bamboo shacks or stilted wooden huts. It is a land of rice paddies, palm trees, water buffalo and humped white cows, waving children and salt field workers.
Kampot is the land of salt and pepper. The salt fields are just outside of town and one of the most interesting places to visit in Kampot. Saltwater is brought from the sea 5km away into prepared clay fields and left to evaporate until salt crystals form.
6 – Visit a Kampot Pepper Farm
Further afield towards the beach town, Kep are pepper plantations that produce some of the best pepper in the world. The green berries are sun-dried to make black pepper, while the riper red peppercorns are boiled to remove the skin leaving the white pepper seed inside.
7 – Take a Yoga Class
Visit the women’s only spa Banteay Srey, a refuge and training centre for young women from difficult backgrounds to help them improve their lives. It is the perfect location for yoga—an open-sided upper level of a wooden house with views of the garden and river. It is great value at $5 and takes place every day at 9.00 am. They also have a little oasis spa which is a lovely place to get a massage or treatment, have lunch in the vegetarian cafe, and relax on their comfortable riverside deck.
Takeaway
Here are some great books to read
About Cambodia
If you would like to know more about Cambodia and its history, please read these books.
The first book is by a Cambodian author. Chenda Keo. He discovered that human trafficking was a serious social problem that needed to be urgently and effectively addressed. He began his work by interviewing 17 trafficked children. Surprisingly he found that none of these children considered themselves trafficking victims.
The second book was written by my lovely friend Kate. Who sadly recently passed, due to an illness.
- A book about human trafficking: Human Trafficking in Cambodia by Chenda Keo
- A book about Cambodia: Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
- A book about the history of Cambodia: A History of Cambodia by David Chandler
- A book from a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist: Cambodia’s Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land by Joel Brinkley
- A book about a younger trained as a soldier for the Khmer Rouge: First They Killed My Father
- A book about being in S-21, the prison during the Khmer Rouge: A Cambodian Prison Portrait by Vann Nath
- A book about the leader of the Khmer Rouge: Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare by Philip Short
- A book about a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust: Survival in the Killing Fields Haing Ngor
- A book about two sisters reuniting after the Khmer Rouge: Lucky Child by Loung Ung
- A book about surviving under the Khmer Rouge: When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him
